There have been numerous attempts to find efficient, economical methods for removing oil from water, especially when the oil appears to be environmentally or ecologically detrimental. Adside from the possible danger to animal life, plant life, or marine life, oil in waterways can be a fire hazard, can present chemical problems to segments of the public or industry who may use the water in various processes, and can be wasteful and a general nuisance. In some cases, exotic or expensive oils need to be saved from loss.
Among the many methods which have been taught and proposed for removing oil from water have been the use of various sorption agents or sorptives, such as wood chips, sawdust, sulfur, polymeric substances, cellulosic substances, and many others. Many of the proposed sorptives are not salvageable or re-usable and are intended to be destroyed or discarded along with the sorbed oil. In some cases, it is possible to recover a fair amount of the oil from the sorptive by draining, squeezing, or washing with a solvent. Even when some of the oil is recovered from the sorptive, the sorptive along with residual oil is generally intended to be discarded or destroyed.
There exists a need for a sorption agent (sorptive) from which the sorbed oil can be easily removed and which is further useful.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sorptive for removal of oil from water.
It is a further object to provide a sorptive from which the oil can be substantially completely recovered.
A still further object is to provide a sorptive which is again useful after the oil has been removed.
Yet another object is to provide a sorptive which can be treated so as to render it useful again as a sorptive for removing oil from water.
These and other objects are attained by the present invention as described herein.